American Presidents by "Wait But Why"

"Wait But Why" has done a fabulous and fun profile of each president up to #25:

Part 1 -- Washington to Lincoln

• George Washington:  As a “six-star general,” so now he’s the highest-ranking military officer in US history.
• John Adams:  One of the only pre-Civil War presidents to oppose slavery openly.  Also, founder of the Navy.
• Thomas Jefferson:  Wrote the Declaration of Independence in his early 30's.  Also, Lewis & Clark; Louisiana Purchase.
• James Madison:  5'4" and 100#.  War of 1812.
• James Monroe:  the last of the "Founding Father" presidents.  Monroe Doctrine.
• John Quincy Adams:  A close vote, he lost both the popular and the electoral vote to Andrew Jackson and only won the presidency because the margin was too narrow and it came down to a Congressional vote
• Andrew Jackson:  Crazy and tough, "a notorious hothead, bordering on insane, and engaged in over 100 duels in his lifetime."  Indian Removal Act
• Martin Van Buren:  1st president to be born an American citizen; nicknamed “Van Ruin" because of the 1837 financial crisis which dominated his single term
• William Henry Harrison:  The only US president to have attended medical school, he died after only a month in office
• John Tyler:  "His Accidency"  
• James Polk:  Made the US a huge, coast-to-coast nation (Mexican-American War) in only 1 term
• Zachary Taylor:  An old war-hero who died after only a year in office (poisoned?), "he never went to school, had no political experience, never voted in his life, and dressed like a farmer"
• Millard Fillmore:  Taylor's VP who took over; Commodore Perry expedition to Japan
• Franklin Pierce:  “All that’s left, is to drink and die.”
• James Buchanan:  2nd to last in Presidential rankings, as the Civil War broke out during his term.  "Historians often cite Buchanan’s ambiguity in the face of secession to be the #1 worst decision by a US president."  Gay, probably.
• Abraham Lincoln:  #1 President

Part 2 -- Johnson to McKinley

• Andrew Johnson:  3rd worst President, spent his term “trying to undo all the progress of the Civil War”
• Ulysses S. Grant:  #1 Civil War hero but unimpressive President with the most corrupt administration ever.  "Most impressive failure of a man ever."  But he passed the 15th Amendment and authored memoirs that Mark Twain considered "a literary masterpiece."
• Rutherford B. Hayes:  Seems like a good guy -- progressive, war-hero, promoted bi-partisanship and a merit system.  Handsome when he was younger!
• James A. Garfield:  Assassinated after less than 3 months in office.
• Chester Arthur:  More effective than expected.
• Grover Cleveland:  #22 and 24.  The only Democrat to be elected president during an otherwise completely Republican-dominated half century.
• Benjamin Harrison:  Grandson of William Henry Harrison (#9 above).  Passed the Sherman Antitrust Act and was "more serious about rights for African Americans than any president before him."
• William McKinley:  Spanish-American War (to support Cuba's demand for independence).  Assassinated and succeeded by VP Theodore Roosevelt.